Container, closure, and methods for manufacture
In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods provided herein are useful for dispensing a fluid from a bottle that includes a closure cap with a flip-top lid, a base, and a tamper evident structure configured to indicate whether the closure cap has been previously opened. In some configurations, an area of the closure cap that a user manually leverages to open the cap includes a recess. By one approach, prior to initial opening, the movable wall covers most portion of the recess, and then upon initial opening, a user manually rotates the movable wall from the first generally vertical configuration to a second configuration that is moved inward into the recess.
1 . A closure cap comprising:
a base;
a flip-top lid hingedly connected to the base, the flip-top lid being movable between an open position and a closed position, the flip-top lid and the base together forming a recess in an outer wall of the closure cap when the flip-top lid is in the closed position, the recess forming a grasping area where a user applies a force to move the flip-top lid from the closed position to the open position;
a movable wall being attached to the base or the flip-top lid, the movable wall being rotatable from a first position where the movable wall is substantially aligned with an adjacent sidewall of the closure cap to a second position where an edge of the movable wall is disposed inward into the recess;
an extension tab extending from the movable wall and fixedly attached to the base or the flip-top lid prior to subsequent opening, the extension tab having a flange and a latching projection extending from the flange;
a retaining slot disposed in the base or the flip-top lid opposite the movable wall and the extension tab, where the latching projection of the extension tab engages the retaining slot upon initial closure of the closure cap and secures the extension tab within the retaining slot; and
a breakable member disposed between the extension tab and the movable wall, wherein the breakable member is configured to break upon the movable wall being rotatably moved from the first position toward the second position.
2 . The closure cap of claim 1 wherein the latching projection comprises a pair of hooks, where each end of the hooks extends outwardly away from one another.
3 . The closure cap of claim 1 wherein the latching projection comprises a barb.
4 . The closure cap of claim 1 wherein the movable wall is attached to one of the base and the flip-top lid via a hinged connection and wherein the retaining slot has a receiving opening through which the latching projection extends upon initial closure.
5 . The closure cap of claim 4 wherein the movable wall is attached to the flip-top lid via the hinged connection and wherein the base has the receiving opening.
6 . The closure cap of claim 4 wherein the movable wall is attached to the base via the hinged connection and wherein the flip-top lid has the receiving opening.
7 . The closure cap of claim 4 wherein the receiving opening is in a sidewall of the base disposed below the recess.
8 . The closure cap of claim 4 wherein the receiving opening is in a sidewall of the flip-top lid disposed above the recess.
9 . The closure cap of claim 4 wherein the receiving opening is in an upper surface of the base at the recess.
10 . The closure cap of claim 1 wherein an upper surface of the base includes an indented portion configured to engage the flange of the extension tab.
11 . The closure cap of claim 1 wherein a sidewall of the base includes an indented portion configured to engage the flange of the extension tab.
12 . The closure cap of claim 1 wherein a sidewall of the flip-top lid has an indented portion configured to engage the flange of the extension tab.
13 . The closure cap of claim 1 wherein the movable wall is attached to the base via a hinged connection and wherein the extension tab is fixed to the flip-top lid via a mounting member disposed on an inner surface of a sidewall of the flip-top lid.
14 . The closure cap of claim 1 wherein the movable wall extends from the flip-top lid and has a hinge at a top of the movable wall and wherein the flip-top lid further comprises a lip disposed inwardly of the hinge to secure a lower end of the movable wall after the lower end of the movable wall has been rotated sufficiently inward relative to the recess.
15 . The closure cap of claim 1 wherein the retaining slot comprises an elongated retaining slot and the latching projection comprises a pair of flexible projections having hooks thereon for fixedly securing the extension tab to the elongated retaining slot.
16 . A closure cap comprising:
a base;
a flip-top lid hingedly connected to the base by a hinge, the flip-top lid movable between an open position and a closed position;
a recess formed in an outer wall of the closure cap when the flip-top lid is in the closed position;
a tamper panel extending from the flip-top lid at the recess in the outer wall, the tamper panel being rotatable from a first position where the tamper panel is substantially aligned with an adjacent sidewall of the closure cap to a second position where an edge of the tamper panel is disposed inward into the recess when the closure cap is in the closed position;
an extension tab extending from the tamper panel and in substantial alignment therewith in an initial configuration;
a retaining slot disposed in the base opposite the tamper panel; and
a breakable member disposed between the extension tab and the tamper panel in the initial configuration, wherein the breakable member is configured to break upon the tamper panel being rotatably moved from the first position toward the second position;
wherein the closure cap is molded with the flip-top lid in the initial configuration and the flip-top lid is moved to the closed position by rotating the flip-top lid about the hinge and the extension tab engaging the retaining slot upon movement of the flip-top lid from the initial configuration to the closed position.
17 . The closure cap of claim 16 wherein the extension tab comprises a flange and at least one latching projection extending from the flange.
18 . The closure cap of claim 16 wherein the retaining slot comprises an elongated retaining slot and the extension tab further comprises a pair of flexible projections with enlarged prongs configured to extend into the elongated retaining slot to fixedly attach the extension tab to the elongated retaining slot.
19 . A closure cap comprising:
a base;
a flip-top lid hingedly connected to the base by a hinge, the flip-top lid movable between an open position and a closed position;
a recess formed in an outer wall of the closure cap when the flip-top lid is in the closed position;
a tamper panel extending from the base at the recess in the outer wall, the tamper panel being rotatable from a first position where the tamper panel is substantially aligned with an adjacent sidewall of the closure cap to a second position where an edge of the tamper panel is disposed inward into the recess when the closure cap is in the closed position;
an extension tab extending from the tamper panel and in substantial alignment therewith in an initial configuration;
a retaining slot disposed in the flip-top lid opposite the tamper panel; and
a breakable member disposed between the extension tab and the tamper panel in the initial configuration, wherein the breakable member is configured to break upon the tamper panel being rotatably moved from the first position toward the second position;
wherein the closure cap is molded with the flip-top lid in the initial configuration and the flip-top lid is moved to the closed position by rotating the flip-top lid about the hinge and the extension tab engaging the retaining slot upon movement of the flip-top lid from the initial configuration to the closed position.
20 . The closure cap of claim 19 wherein the extension tab comprises a flange and at least one latching projection extending from the flange.
21 . The closure cap of claim 19 wherein the retaining slot comprises an elongated retaining slot and the extension tab further comprises a pair of flexible projections with enlarged prongs configured to extend into the elongated retaining slot to fixedly attach the extension tab to the elongated retaining slot.